On Sunday, April 2, audiences will have the opportunity to see and hear a production of “Peter & The Wolf” — which will bring together members of the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras’ Symphony Orchestra and dancers from the New England Ballet Company at the University of Bridgeport’s Bernhard Arts Center. less

On Sunday, April 2, audiences will have the opportunity to see and hear a production of “Peter & The Wolf” — which will bring together members of the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras’ Symphony ... more

Photo: GBYO /NEBC / Contributed Photo

Image 2 of 5

On Sunday, April 2, audiences will have the opportunity to see and hear a production of “Peter & The Wolf” — which will bring together members of the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras’ Symphony Orchestra and dancers from the New England Ballet Company at the University of Bridgeport’s Bernhard Arts Center. less

On Sunday, April 2, audiences will have the opportunity to see and hear a production of “Peter & The Wolf” — which will bring together members of the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras’ Symphony ... more

Photo: GBYO /NEBC / Contributed Photo

Image 3 of 5

On Sunday, April 2, audiences will have the opportunity to see and hear a production of “Peter & The Wolf” — which will bring together members of the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras’ Symphony Orchestra and dancers from the New England Ballet Company at the University of Bridgeport’s Bernhard Arts Center. less

On Sunday, April 2, audiences will have the opportunity to see and hear a production of “Peter & The Wolf” — which will bring together members of the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras’ Symphony ... more

Photo: GBYO /NEBC / Contributed Photo

Image 4 of 5

On Sunday, April 2, audiences will have the opportunity to see and hear a production of “Peter & The Wolf” — which will bring together members of the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras’ Symphony Orchestra and dancers from the New England Ballet Company at the University of Bridgeport’s Bernhard Arts Center. less

On Sunday, April 2, audiences will have the opportunity to see and hear a production of “Peter & The Wolf” — which will bring together members of the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras’ Symphony ... more

Photo: GBYO /NEBC / Contributed Photo

Image 5 of 5

‘Peter & The Wolf’ Ballet brings together state talent

1 / 5

Back to Gallery

In this era of prerecorded music, ballet-goers know how rare it is for dance companies to be accompanied by “live” musicians.

But on Sunday, April 2, audiences will have the opportunity to see and hear a production of “Peter & The Wolf” — which will bring together members of the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras’ Symphony Orchestra and dancers from the New England Ballet Company at the University of Bridgeport’s Bernhard Arts Center.

This will be the first time in their long histories that the GBYO has performed for dancers and the ballet company has danced to live music, organizers say. The performance is sponsored in part by the Kiwanis Club of Weston.

“The ballet features Prokofiev’s classic 1936 score, a work written specifically to cultivate a love of advanced music in young children,” they say. The ballet is choreographed by New England Ballet Company’s artistic director, Victor Trevino (who is also responsible for the company’s popular annual “Nutcracker”).

One of Fairfield County’s leading youth orchestras, GBYO has more than 300 members from throughout the state, according to Executive Director Beth Ulman. “The goal of the collaboration is to give symphony members an extra performance opportunity at a high level of musicianship — an enriching experience similar to inviting a guest performer or conductor to work with one of our groups.”

“It will be an all-new and completely different experience for symphony musicians to learn how to match the music to dancers,” said GBYO Artistic Director Christopher Hisey. “We expect they will learn a lot from the experience.”

For dancers: “It will require flexibility and agility to stay in time with the musicians versus working with recorded music where the tempo is always the same,” said Kenneth Hopkins, New England Ballet founder and executive director. “The dancers will need to pay close attention to the conductor as well. Teamwork between dancers and musicians will be paramount for the success of the performance. The dancers and musicians will realize a new appreciation throughout this collaboration.”

“Working with an orchestra helps not only the dancers and the musicians, but the audience to understand how the arts are related. It is beneficial exposure to all the artists involved,” Trevino said.